Chaos is his Middle Name
by Dreamer6164
Summary: AU Living with the purpose to kill for most of his life, InuYasha has been trained to live with detached emotions. He quickly learned to never show them to anyone, but when he spares the life of a young girl his own way of life is turned upside down.
1. Preface

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha

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**Chaos is his Middle Name**

**Preface**

The man in black scowled at the woman before him. He was tempted to cut the woman in half for her impudence. How dare she walk into his lair without consent. Though she pleaded with him that it was of direr importance, he had no interest nor the patience for fools.

The woman was on her knees begging him for his mercy, which caused the man to smirk. If she had only waited for his guards to grant her entrance instead of barging in and making a scene, she might have had a chance to walk out of here with her life. "Please sir, I beg you. I did not mean any disrespect. I merely wanted you to spare the life of my son. He's caused no harm for he's only a boy. Please, you must not kill him just because he is different."

Kill her son? What was this woman going on about? Was she not aware that it was her own life that she should be concerned about? He made eye contact with the guard at the door and waved for him to come to him. The guard quickly made his way over to the man, knowing that any dawdling would cost him his life. "Yes sir?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"What is this wench going on about?" The man did not keep his voice down. He would make sure the woman heard every unpleasant word he said.

"Her son is part demon, sir. On your order, we were sent to kill it, for you wished for us to destroy anything that did not deserve a place in this world." The guard stood tall as the man took in the new information.

So it seemed that the wench before him had mated with a demon. How despicable. She should die along with her son. The man peered over at the guard and narrowed his gaze. "Go fetch the boy. I wish to kill it in front of its mother."

As the guard strode across the room, the woman's pleas increased. "No, please, have mercy! He's just a little boy!" Her wails increased as the guard reentered dragging a little boy with long silver hair and two doglike ears nestled behind his bangs to the man who was about to end his life. "Please, don't hurt my baby!"

When the boy was in reach, the man stretched out his arm and took hold of the boy around his neck. "Let this be a lesson to you, bitch, that no woman should settle for a demon." The man tightened his fingers around the boy's neck. The boy's claws scraped at the man's knuckles, but were too underdeveloped to do much damage. The man studied the boy's pained expressed face considering all the possibilities this one demon could do when he was full grown. He could be a real killing machine. One that would make him the most feared man in the whole country. The man suddenly let go of the boy and watched him fall to the floor.

The woman sighed with relief. "Oh thank Kami! InuYasha are you alright?" The boy was crouched on the stone floor couching as he tried to regain the breath he had lost.

"Kill the mother." the man ordered to the guard and a gasp escaped the woman's lips. The guard pulled out his sword and proceeded toward the woman. She covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to keep the tears in her eyes at bay.

She turned to the man, who did nothing but watch her killer come closer. "Please. Don't do this!"

The man did nothing to call off the armed guard. The next sound to be heard was the woman's shrill cry and her blood hitting the floor. "Mother, no!" the boy shouted as he reached out a hand toward the body on the floor.

The man's gaze shifted toward the hunched over form of the crying boy. "Lock him up." He didn't stay to see the guard roughly grab the boy by the scruff of his shirt. He knew that his order would be carried out.

He walked down the long corridor contemplating the ideas in his head. The demon, he knew, was only a half-breed, but with enough training it was possible for it to become more powerful than any full breed. He chuckled to himself as he pushed opened the door to his bedroom. Tied to his bed was a very nude woman with her eyes wide. He sauntered over to the maiden and smiled evilly. What a beautiful piece of meat she was. He laid down beside the scared woman and ran a finger down her arm. "If you corporate you might just get to live to see the next day."

The gasp the woman let out against the gag in her mouth was shortly followed by a deathly scream as the man clawed her stomach. Even with his stubby nails he was able to draw blood. "Scream all you like. No one will come for you." Tears streamed down her face as she watched the man pull a dagger out of his coat pocket. He tenderly skimmed the blade across the woman's stomach. Teasing her senses. She cried out each time he tilted the knife enough to knick her flesh with the tip. Tonight would be a slow tortuous death for the woman under him, but he would be sure not to let her die before he had his fill.

He chuckled as he continued his ministrations. Yes, tonight he would have his fun, for tomorrow would be the first step to taking over the kingdom. What a wonderful opportunity this day had turned out to be.

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_**AN:** Just one of those random ideas that popped into my head. You can't blame me for writing it down. I just thought I'd share it with you. _

_This will be rated differently from any of the other stories I've written because of violence, language, and adult situations. Though I promise this will not contain a lemon. Sorry if that disappoints anyone. I just don't think I'd be able to write one. _

_I should warn you that this will take a back seat to **Cheating Fate**. _

_Well, like always, let me know what you thought.  
**Dreamer6164**_


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha

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Chapter One

The sun was hot and the last thing Kagome Higurashi wanted to do was go to the market place. She'd much rather have stayed and sunbathed with her friends, but her mother had insisted that she go get the supplies they were running low on.

Now she was trudging down the path that led to the village. It wasn't that far from their cozy cottage, just a short trek through a batch of trees, that weren't thick enough to call a forest, and over a small hill. Most days Kagome loved taking the little walk to the village and seeing the shops and people, but today she felt like it wasn't the smartest thing to do. She didn't know why she felt so ill at ease, but as she made her way out of the small patch of woods, a weird sound reached her ears. It was a light crackling noise and Kagome couldn't place exactly where she'd heard it before.

She looked over at the hill and her eyes were drawn to many smoke clouds above it. Her instincts were telling her that something wasn't right and the more she thought about it the more she noticed that it was a lot quieter than it should have been. Usually by now she'd be able to hear the village chatter and the horses' hoof steps.

The silence made the hair on the back of her neck raise causing her to trust in her earlier intuition. Once at the top of the hill, she stood staring at what had caused her animosity.

The once quaint little village was now up in flames. All that was left of the place were the skeletons of the shops and cottages that had lined the streets.

She knew that she should just turn around and run the rest of the way home, but instead she felt her feet pull her further toward to the destroyed village. She saw no people running around and this unnerved her more than anything else. Her conscience told her that she had to look for survivors, but her common sense was telling her to get out of there. Nevertheless, she pushed herself forward. If there was anyone alive out there she was going to find them.

The further into the village she walked the thicker the smoke became. It felt like her lungs were about to burst as she sucked in more smoke than oxygen. Kagome fell to her knees and pressed her face against the dirt trying to suck in cleaner air. She lifted the collar of her shirt and covered up her mouth and nose. Once on her feet she continued to move forward. "Hello! Is anyone here?" she yelled through her shirt. She got no answer, but it did not stop her from continuing her search.

As soon as she was traveling down what had been the main road, Kagome started spotting bodies. They were littered along the edge of the road covered in their own blood. Most of the them were charred and maimed. Kagome felt her stomach heave, but resisted the urge to regurgitate in the middle of what must have been a blood bath.

'_What a horrific catastrophe!' _Kagome thought as she scanned the desolate wasteland around her. She had only heard stories about villages being attacked and burned to the ground. She never thought that it would ever actually happen to the one she use to think of as her own.

After failing to find any survivors, Kagome was about to turn around and head back home, but stopped when a liberating moan was heard above the crackling fires. She hurried to where she had heard the sound and gasped when she saw a woman lying face down on the side of the road. She was lucky to have kept her face to the ground for it had managed to save her face from being burnt, but her back was going to have a nasty scar. It was cover in third degree burns.

Kagome knelt down beside the injuried woman and, being careful of her wounds, gently maneuvered her into a sitting position. The woman screamed in agony as she felt her marred skin shift. The pain must have been too great for her because her screams soon cut off as she passed into unconsciousness.

Kagome stared mournfully down at the unconscious lady in her arms. Nobody should have to go through such pain.

Figuring that since she was unaware of her injuries, now would be the time to move her. Still being careful, Kagome moved the woman to rest on her back. It took a few tries to get her angle just right, but eventually the deed was done. Shifting the woman on her back, Kagome hauled forward. If she could just get up the hill she'd be home free.

Digging her heal into the slanted ground, Kagome began the hardest climb she'd had in a long while. The extra weight on her back threw her off balance and she had to stop to steady herself more than a couple of times. By the time she was at the top she was exhausted. At least she had made it halfway.

Heaving a sigh, she readjusted the woman on her back and started walking again. She had thought that once she was past the tree line, her nerves would have settled, but instead they intensified. She felt her heartbeat start to quicken and she couldn't help but grip onto the unconscious woman's legs harder then she meant to. She pressed onward until she saw something in the shadows dart past her. She wiped her head in the direction were she had seen the movement, but was only greeted with the tumbling of a few leaves. She cautiously surveyed her surrounds before walking again.

She felt her muscles tighten as her urge to get out of the small woods increased. When the lighting from the outside broke through the tree line, she let out a sigh of relief. She was about to make a run for it, but she heard the leaves rustle behind her again. Kagome had no control over the action of looking behind her, it was merely a reflex, but as soon as her eyes left the promising light of the sun she knew she would regret it. Before she could refocus on her main target she collided into a very firm wall.

When she looked up, she lost her grip on the woman on her back and felt as she tumbled to the floor. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed into the vacant amber eyes of the man before her. With that one look she could feel his whole life sufferings and the only thought that could come to her mind, through all the emotions this being brought to life inside her, was, _'Who was this guy?' _She quickly took in his appearance. His hair was silver and went down past his waist and he had doglike ears on top of his head. The more appropriate question was, _'__**What **__was this guy?' _

The man bared his fangs at her and growled menacingly. Kagome's eyes went wide in fear as realization hit her. This was what attacked the village! Now it was after her and the remaining survivor!

Kagome watched as it raised its blood covered claw in front of her and then cracked its knuckles. It chuckled darkly as it slowly reached out and smeared blood on her cheek. Kagome's lower lip trembled as it drew a line from her temple to her chin leaving behind a tiny trail of her own blood. Her breathing picked up when she saw him lean forward. She closed her eyes waiting for her death, but was shocked when she felt a wet appendage follow the line on her face.

Her eyes shot open and she found herself looking into its eyes again, but they were no longer vacant. They held a malicious lust that left Kagome trembling. She was beginning to think she preferred the vacant stare. Its hand trailed up over her hip and up the front of her shirt. Acting out of reflex, Kagome slapped the hand away.

The enraged growl that erupted from the beast in front of her had tears pooling in her eyes. She tried to blink them back, but some still managed to slip over the rim of her eyes. She stared as the threatening look left its face and was replaced with confusion. It sniffed the air as it moved closer to her. Its nose brushed against her cheek, catching some of her tears in the process.

It licked the edge of its nose, tasting her tears, then proceeded to lick the remaining ones off her face. Kagome closed her eyes and held her breath, not wanting to upset it more than she already had. She felt a tap on the edge of her nose and when she didn't respond another one followed. She peered through one eye and noticed she was nose to nose with the beast. She gasped in shock as both eyes flew open.

Its eyes no longer held any evil intent, but rather a forlorn look. Kagome could tell that it was one it rarely showed to anyone because of the way it was trying to keep it concealed. Its eyes switched back and forth between vacant and misery. Kagome felt more tears well up in her eyes, but this time they was not for herself. They were for _him_. She raised a hand to place on his cheek, but before she could touch him, he was gone. The last expression on his face as he left was vacant. His depraved side had won.

As her heartbeat slowly returned to normal she looked back over at the forgotten woman on the ground. She sighed as she once again knelt down beside her and maneuvered her onto her back. When she was situated, she strode out of the woods.

The sun momentarily blinded her, but as her eyes adjusted she spotted her cottage in the distance. Her already fast pace sped up immensely. Faster than she would have thought possible, seeing as she carried an injured person on her back, she was in her front yard. It was her little brother, Souta, who first noticed her arrival.

"Sis, what took you so long?" he yelled as he crossed the yard and then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the unconscious person his sister carried. "What's wrong with her? Is she . . . Is she dead?" His voice shook and even though he'd never admit it, Kagome could tell that not only did the wounded woman make him nervous, but the blood smeared on her face did as well.

She shook her head. "No, just unconscious." She walked a bit further until her feet slipped out from under her and she landed on her stomach with a thud. The extra weight had her moaning in discomfort. "Where's Mom?"

Souta looked skittish as he ran into the cottage. Kagome tried to readjust the woman, but was surprised that most of her strength was gone. She laid her head down on the grass in defeat. She preoccupied herself by playing with the blades of grass around her as her mind slowly wandered onto the person that had attacked her. It was the single most terrifying moment of her life. She had really thought that she was going to die. The look in his eyes as he ran his nail down her face. It still left goose bumps on her arms.

"Kagome?" It was her mother's voice. Kagome looked up at her as she gazed down with a horrified expression. "Oh my Kami, Kagome are you alright?"

Mother's. Always worrying too much . . . But maybe she had good reason to this time. "Yes Mom, I'm fine," she said as she tried to move again. The attempt was fruitless. "but I don't think she is. She's burned pretty badly. Maybe you could take a look at her?"

"Of course. Souta help me with her." Kagome felt as they lifted the body off of her and courted her into their home. Kagome stretched her joints before standing up and sighed in contentment when some of the stiff ones popped.

Kagome was about to walk the rest of the way to her house, but stopped as she gazed back toward the woods. She couldn't help but wonder why he had attacked a defenseless village. He couldn't possibly have gotten pleasure from it. The look of misery in his eyes told her that much. So why did he do it then?

"Kagome?" her mother called. Kagome could tell she sounded nervous. "Come on inside. I don't want you lingering out there." Taking her eyes off the trees, she rushed inside.

Kagome saw that her mother had laid the woman on her stomach on the extra bed in the main room. Souta, who was blushing furiously, sat beside her coating her wounds with a healing gel. It was a good thing the lady wasn't awake because she'd be in excruciating pain and probably embarrassed by the lack of clothing covering her chest. But Kagome trusted Souta not to be a peeping Tom.

She felt her mother wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Kagome what happened?" she whispered.

Kagome shivered as she recalled the village. "The village had been attacked." Kagome explained. "She was the only one I found alive." Her mother gasped.

"Oh Kami. What a terrible sight to see." Her mother brought Kagome into an embrace. "I'm so thankful that you're alright." In return, Kagome wrapped her arms around her as well. "You didn't see it get attacked, did you? I would hate for you to have witnessed something as traumatic as that. Not that you won't have disturbing memories from just seeing dead bodies, but . . ."

Kagome shook her head. "No, I didn't see it happen, but . . . "Kagome trailed off, not knowing how to explain. ". . . I did see _what_ attacked it."

Her mother ripped away from her and stared into her daughter's eyes with shock. "Did it see you? Kagome please tell me it did not see you!"

Kagome averted her eyes as she whispered, "It tracked me down in the woods." She felt her mother trace the line on her face.

"Is that how you acquired this?" she asked just as softly, as if she were afraid of the answer. Kagome didn't want to look at her mother because she knew that she'd see tears in her eyes so she opted for nodding. She heard her mother take in a shaky breath. "I'm so thankful that you escaped. I don't know what I would have done if you had never came back." She embraced Kagome again only this time tighter. "This senseless killing has got to stop."

"Mom?"

"Yes Dear."

Kagome was silent for a moment. ". . . Was it always like this? Has everyone always had to live in fear?" She clung to her mother like she had when she was a girl. A scared little girl gripping onto her mother like she was her lifeline.

Her mother patted her on the head. "No Sweetheart. There was once a time when everything was peaceful. You could go outside and talk with your neighbors until the sun went down. Now you'd be lucky to stay out longer than late afternoon. Everything was happy and the only thing you had to worry about were keeping the animals out of your house." She took a deep breath. "Of course, that was before the king was murdered."

Kagome pulled out of her mother's arms and stared at her. "How come you've never told me this story before?" Her mother sighed as she led them over to the couch.

"Kagome, I see the way you look at things around you. You believe everything is beautiful and I just didn't want to be the one to take that away." Her mother looked over at Souta and said, "You might as well listen to the story as well." Souta nodded, but didn't move closer to hear. Instead, he stayed where he was and continued to spread the gel on the woman's back.

"I remember the day the king was murdered. I'll never forget it because it was the day you were born Kagome. I can't believe it's been seventeen years already." She smiled at her daughter for a moment before continuing with the story. "It was also the day Onigumo became king. For the first couple of years Onigumo changed nothing and nobody noticed the difference, but slowly he did make changes. The price of bread went up and with that loitering appeared more frequently. This went on for a year before the people got tired of the high prices. So a huge group went to the castle to protest, but they never returned. Nothing changed and the high prices just got higher. Another year passed and most villages had boycotted anything associated with the king." She stopped to look at her children who were staring at her intently.

"You have to understand that this is a very dark time. You have to be careful of what you say, about the people around you when you say it, because if you were to say anything bad about the king you were killed. . . . The villages that had boycotted didn't last long. They were soon destroyed along with everyone who lived there." She paused thinking back to some memory. "They were all destroyed by one man. A monster. I've heard of how it'd swoop down and cut a person in half without a thought. It didn't matter if you were an adult or a child. You were nothing more than an insignificant little ant to it. Something it could easily dispose of. And I have no doubt that it was that monster that attacked the village today. You were very lucky to have escaped Kagome. You and the woman."

As her mother finished her story, Kagome stared at the farthest wall. Something didn't add up in what her mother had said. If they were nothing but ants to him then why did he not kill her? He had seemed affected by her tears. Like he didn't know what do to make them stop. It didn't make sense. She looked over at her mother who was also lost in thought. Maybe it was best not to bring this up with her mother. "What an awful story."

"What an awful reality." her mother replied. She looked over at Kagome and smiled sadly. "I am sorry I sent you this morning. If I had known that you were going to stumble upon a scene of carnage a never would have sent you."

Kagome gripped onto her mother's hand. "I know Mom, but how could you have known? Besides, I'm fine and I'm _going_ to be fine." Her mother sighed and briefly hugged Kagome again before going over to help her son. Kagome stared at the two as they fretted over the woman. She did look pretty bad, but the cooling gel should help with her burns.

As Kagome approached them, the woman let out a aching groan. "She's waking up." Souta said as he stood up. He looked over at his mother as if wanting her advice.

"Let her come to. She won't be very comfortable, but maybe we can learn who she is." she replied. Kagome looked from her mother then back down to the woman, who's eyes were quivering. She was indeed about to wake up.

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_**AN:** I tell you what, this story is addicting to write. I'm quite taken with it. lol_

_On another note. I will not be working on any of my stories until Saturday night. I have to study for my ACT test. I will be taking the test alll Saturday morning. Wish me luck! lol I'm really dreading it._

_Wondering what you think,  
**Dreamer6164**_


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha

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Chapter Two

Her head was killing her, but it was nothing compared to the throbbing pain of her back. She tried to open her eyes, to see why she was in so much pain, but her eyelids seemed to weigh a ton. She attempted to lift her arm and found that it was just as heavy. She felt a groan leave what she presumed to be her own lips. The sound was strange to her ears for it sounded too anguished. She didn't know what was going on. She couldn't remember anything. There was nothing but pain.

"Let her come to," She heard a someone say as her heartbeat quickened. Why was she so afraid? "She won't be very comfortable, but maybe we can learn who she is." She wanted to shout, to push away from the strangers around her, but her arms wouldn't respond to her command.

"Mom, what to we do? How can we make her pain go away?" Was that a child? Kohaku! . . . Where did that name come from? Kohaku . . . he was . . . her little brother . . . Her already fast beating heart beat faster, but for an entirely different reason. _'Kohaku!'_ her mind screamed. Concentrating on her eyelids, she wrenched them open.

At first her vision was blurry, but after blinking several times her sight started to clear. She recognized that she was lying on her stomach on a mattress. She tiresomely shifted her shoulders and realized the reason for being on her stomach. A gut-wrenching scream let loose from her throat and tears quickly flowed down her face.

"Kagome, help me steady her!" She felt two pairs of hands gently holding her shoulders down, but she didn't want their help. She wanted to see Kohaku. Needed to see him. Ignoring the searing pain jolting through her back, she struggled against the restraining hands. "Calm down, Dear. Everything's okay. You're safe now."

Safe? Safe from what? She momentarily calmed as she tried to remember what had happened to her. Fear. She remembered being afraid. She had been telling . . . Kohaku to run. From what though? . . . Her mind went blank. She tried to concentrate harder. An image of a man, but with the image no sense of fear came with it. She knew this face. His face was gentle and had loving eyes. . . . Takeda was the name that came to mind.

As if with the remembrance of his name, a tide of memories broke through her mind. Her name was Sango Taijiya and Takeda Kuranosuke was her fiancée. She and her little brother Kohaku traveled around the countryside with him in search of the perfect place to have their wedding.

She opened her eyes and for the first time looked at her surroundings. How had she gotten here? Where was Takeda and Kohaku? Sango observed the people around her. The woman on her right appeared to be middle aged and the woman to her left seemed to be in her late teens. Not too much younger than herself. She looked ahead of her and caught sight of a boy. Hope shot through and her whole being screamed Kohaku. But the more she looked at the boy she realized it was not her beloved little brother. "Dear, can you hear me?" the middle aged woman asked.

Sango moved her pained gazed over to the woman. A slight feeling of fear was still in her system and Sango tried to recoil from both the presences around her. The older woman patted her on the head. "Don't worry, you're safe now."

"K-Kohaku . . . Takeda . . . W-where are th-they?" Her voice sounded scratchy. What had happened to her? She watched as the two women exchanged gloomy looks. Sango felt panic take the place of fear inside her. She tried to move but the pain shot through her body again, forcing her to rethink her action. "Where . . . Where are they?"

The younger girl stepped forward and knelt down to her left. "Why don't we talk about this when you're feeling better." Sango stared at the girl and knew that something was terribly wrong. Why wouldn't she just tell her where her brother and Takeda were?

Sango started to thrash her head back and forth. She was in too much emotional pain to notice her physical ones. Her tears were now flowing like two rivers down her cheeks. "No . . . no, tell me . . . Where are they?!" she screamed as loud as she could. The girl took a step back in surprise. She looked over at the other woman uncertainly.

The girl took a deep breath then released it in the form of a sigh. ". . . When I found you . . . There were no other survivors." Sango had thought that her tears were flowing at top speed, but when the girl said no survivors it only proved her wrong. Her tears came even faster.

No. It wasn't true. Kohaku and Takeda were still alive. They had to be. They were her life. The girl was lying. She just hadn't searched hard enough. They just couldn't be . . .

Kagome watched the anguished woman before her and felt her heart break. Maybe she hadn't looked well enough? There could be a chance that the people the woman spoke of were still alive. Valid not a good one, but at least some hope. Kagome looked over at her mother, who was trying her best to calm the woman down, and cleared her throat. "Mom, I'm going back."

Her mother looked over at her in surprise. "You're what?"

"I'm going back to the village. I have to see if there is anyone still alive." She made to go gather some things, but her mother grabbed her arm. She looked over at her mother with a knowing look.

"I don't want you out there. It's dangerous and I won't have you coming back with an even more serious injury. Or worse, not coming back at all." Kagome let out a sigh. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince her mother, but she had to try.

"Mom, I have to do this. Just look at her." Kagome gestured over to the sobbing woman. "I need to know if anyone is still out there. I want to be able to tell her the truth. Why should she get false information?"

Her mother placed a hand on her forehead as she closed her eyes. "Kagome, you don't know if that information is false. Besides, there's little chance that there's anyone still alive. It's a miracle she's still alive!"

Kagome squeezed her mother's arm. "Let me find out. I promise I'll be back." She watched as her mother slightly shook her head and then sighed.

Kagome watched hopefully as she looked up at her and stared firmly. "You better come back." Kagome smiled and rushed to give her a hug before she started to gather supplies. "Unharmed."

She threw a couple of water bottles into the backpack she was taking and looked up at her mother. "Of course." She then proceeded to add a bottle of pain killer into the bag. Her attention was quickly diverted to her little brother, who was standing by the wall. He had been quiet from the time the woman had awoken and Kagome knew it was because he had never seen anyone is so much pain. "Don't worry Souta, everything will be fine."

Her brother ran over to her and hugged her quickly. Before he ran off to his room, Kagome saw the tears in his eyes. _'Oh Souta.' _"Is he your brother?" Kagome whipped her head around to stare at the injured woman. She still had tears streaming down her face, but she seemed to have calmed down a little. Kagome nodded in response to her question. "Kohaku . . . He was my little brother." More tears well up in her eyes.

That was one of the names of the people she had cried out. She had lost her brother. That is, until Kagome could find him. Dead or alive was still debatable. "I'm going to go back and look for more survivors." It was the only thing she could think of to say. The woman nodded before closing her eyes and giving in to sleep. Kagome sighed as she watched the gentle rise and fall of her back. Hopefully she would be back with good news. She turned back to her mother and smiled. "I'll be back. I promise."

Her mother embraced her tightly. "You better." She reluctantly left go and watched her daughter walk out the front door.

It didn't take long to get to the destroyed village. Or, that is, what was left of it. The fires had put themselves out and the smell of decay was strong in the air. A shiver ran down her spin as looked over the desolate scene before her. She slowly walked closer to the sight and coughed as the stench got stronger. She continued walking forward as she covered her nose with her shirt once again.

She walked around checking over all the decaying corpses, trying to determine if any of them were breathing. She did this for twenty minutes before she came across the place where she had found the woman. Kagome searched the area and located two bodies. She knelt down beside the smaller, who she assumed to be Kohaku, and saw that his throat had been ripped open. And even if that wound hadn't been fatal his charred body wouldn't have lasted long anyway. With tears in her eyes, she looked over at the other body and noticed that his stomach was torn open and his guts spread across the ground. Kagome brought her finger up to bite on to prevent the scream that built up in her chest.

"It seems that I have come too late."

Kagome whorled around to find a Buddhist monk standing not too far away. He was wearing purple and black robes and was holding a staff. His hair was pulled back into a short pony tail at the back of his neck and he had the purest blue eyes Kagome had ever seen. "Excuse me?"

The monk made his way over to her and then gestured around the demolished setting. "I had heard a rumor that the king had ordered the demise of this village." he said and then let out a sigh. "I had hoped to arrive quicker. My plan was to get here in time to slay the creature that murders people on the king's command. It's not safe for anyone when the king has that much control over a monster. It needs to be slain."

Kagome gasped. He was talking about the man that had spared her life and even though she should feel resentment toward the person who had stolen these people's lives, she couldn't. He had made it clear that he did not enjoy what he did, so why should he have to pay with his life for the evil the king ordered him to do? She knew that it was not sane to excuse someone who had killed, but Kagome could tell that what he did tortured him. ". . . But aren't you supposed to save lives? You are a monk, are you not?" She tried to hide the raw panic in her eyes. She did not want this monk to judge her for her decisions. "Why wouldn't you try to save whatever is killing people? It seems to me he is the one who needs saving more than anyone."

The monk peered at her before answering. "One that has sin as much as this cannot hope to find peace in Nirvana. By killing it, it can at least have a chance to start over."

Maybe he wouldn't find peace in Nirvana, but that didn't mean he deserved to die. Everyone had a right to finish the life they started and Kagome deeply believed that if she could save him from the king he would have the chance to change. Kagome looked away from the monk and back at the brutal site before her.

She felt the monk kneel beside her. "I will offer my prayers and then will bury the dead before carrying on with my mission." She peered over at him. He held fast to his staff with his eyes closed. His free hand was vertical with his face as he prayed.

"I-I wish to help." Kagome stuttered. "If you'll let me." The monk smiled warmly at her as he stood up and held out a hand to her.

Kagome took it gratefully. "I would like that very much." He walked over and picked up a shovel he had brought with him, then handed it her. He then proceeded to grab the extra one for himself. "My name's Miroku, by the way. Miroku Houshi."

"Mine's Kagome Higurashi."

"What a beautiful name." Kagome blushed at his praise, but decided to stay silent. By the time the sun started to set, they only accomplished burying three bodies. "I guess I'll have to continue tomorrow. Will you be joining me then as well?"

Kagome nodded and watched as Miroku made his way to a near by tree. "Wait!" He stopped to look over his shoulder at her. "Do you need a place to stay? I'm sure my mother wouldn't mind if you stayed with us."

He hesitated before answering. "If you're sure it wouldn't be a burden."

"Not at all." Kagome traveled the short way back to her home with Miroku, wondering how long it would take to bury the entire population of the village. When they reached her home, Kagome noticed that her mother was anxiously waiting outside the front door.

"Oh Kagome, you're back. Thank Kami!" Her mother rushed to greet her and was about to take her into her arms when she noticed the monk standing beside her.

"Good evening Madam. My name is Miroku Houshi and your daughter as graciously offered me shelter for the night, but I will only except if it is alright with you." he said before she could ask any questions.

Her mother stared at the monk for a moment before saying, "I don't mind, but you'll have to be mindful of the woman who will also be staying with us. She was one of the survivors from the attack today and, from the lack of people you brought back, has lost two people close to her in the incident."

"Mom, Miroku is helping to bury the dead. I'm sure he won't bother her." Kagome explained. Her mother nodded and then welcomed him into her home. As they entered, Kagome saw that the woman was awake once again.

"Sango, this is my daughter Kagome. You met her earlier today." The woman nodded in understanding. "And this monk's name is Miroku. He's here to bury the dead."

Sango looked sadly at Kagome. "Did you find them?" Kagome guiltily looked away and that was all Sango needed to know. "I see. Then they were killed?" Kagome slowly nodded as Sango broke down into tears.

"I'm so sorry Sango." Kagome whispered as Miroku swiftly walked past her to kneel in front of the crying woman.

"Madam, I promise you that I will hunt down the monster who has caused you this much pain. I will hunt it down and slay it." He reached forward and wiped away the tears that were running down her exposed cheek.

Sango blinked back tears as she stared at the man. "Thank you." Was all she could manage before exhaustion over took her once again. Miroku stood and looked at Kagome.

"You'd better get some rest too. We'll be getting up bright and early tomorrow." She watched Miroku take a seat on the couch and then gestured for Kagome to run along.

"Oh, umm, right. Goodnight, Miroku." Kagome said as she made her way to her bedroom. She could already tell that tomorrow was going to be a long day.

As it turned out, it took Miroku and Kagome an entire week to bury all of the dead. Towards the end of the week Sango had begun to feel better and even joined them. Though she still wasn't well enough to help out. Instead she would sit in the shade of a nearby tree and watch. Every now and then she would join Kagome and Miroku in conversation.

Kagome learned that Miroku came from a long line of monks and that his life goal was to produce an heir to carry on the family tradition. In turn, Kagome told them about how she thought her quiet life was boring and that she longed for adventure. She also learned more about Sango. How she had been engaged and that was why they had traveled to the village in the first place. They had been in search of the perfect place to wed.

Kagome felt bad for Sango. She had lost so much in the course of a couple of hours. Nothing could be more terrifying than that. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like to loose her mother and Souta.

Miroku let out a sigh as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "Finished." He offered some last minute prayers and then turned to the two ladies sitting under the tree. He smiled as he walked over to join them.

"Feels great to be done, doesn't it Miroku." Kagome asked as he sat down.

"Indeed it does." He looked over at Sango, who was looking off in the distance. "Is there something troubling you, Sango?" She calmly looked over and studied him.

"What do you plan to do now that you are finished here?" she asked. She was sure she knew the answer, but she wanted to make sure.

His upbeat persona turned into a very serious one. "I plan on continuing with my mission." he replied. "I meant what I said to you Sango. I will track this creature down and kill it"

She nodded in understanding. Her assumption had been correct. "I would like to join you." she stated trying to keep her emotions in check. "I want to be there when you kill it. To watch that monster take its last breath and maybe be of some assistance to you."

"I don't believe in the thought of revenge, but I will not try to stop you from joining me if that is what you wish. We'll leave early tomorrow morning." Kagome looked between the two of them as she felt her eyes widen. They couldn't kill him! She didn't know why she was so intent on him staying alive, but she knew that she had to stop them He had spared her life, so she should as least try to make them spare his.

"I'm coming as well."

Both pairs of eyes moved to land on her. One pair held curiosity and the other held surprise. "I don't think that's a wise decision," Miroku began, "but I am curious as to why you would want to come along."

"I've told you before that I want adventure." she lied with a shrug of her shoulders. She just hoped that they wouldn't catch on to her little ruse. "This just seems like the perfect opportunity."

Miroku eyed her humorously. "And you believe your mother would let you go on this so called adventure with us?"

Kagome hadn't thought up to that part of her plan. "Well, umm . . . I wasn't really planning on telling her." Kagome mumbled. She knew her mother would be worried about her, but she wouldn't understand why Kagome had to do this. How could she? Kagome herself didn't even know why.

Miroku chuckled. "And you expected me to lie to her as well? I'm sorry Kagome, but I just can't do that." Kagome stared at him pleadingly.

"You wouldn't have to lie to her. You just wouldn't have to tell her I'm coming with you." She had to go with them. Or at least she preferred to go with them. If they decided not to let her join their group she'd set out by herself anyway. Nothing was going to stop her from getting to him. "Please Miroku. If you don't let me then I'll just go by myself."

All sense of fun left Miroku's face as he read the seriousness of Kagome's expression. He had a bad feeling that her going off on her own adventure had little to do with just roaming the countryside. No. He had a sneaky suspicion that she would try to track down the monster as well. But he somehow knew that it wasn't for the same reason as his. What could she possibly gain from finding this creature? He let out a sigh in defeat. He was no dummy. It would be better for her to travel with them than without any protection whatsoever. "Alright. You may come with us, but you are at least going to tell your mother."

"No!" Kagome almost shouted. "She'd never let me."

He let out another sigh. "Then at best leave a note." Kagome nodded in agreement and then looked over at Sango, who had been watching the exchange in silence. Though her expression held no suspicion, Kagome could tell that Sango was trying to figure out why she wanted to come with them. However, Kagome did nothing to ease her questioning mind.

"Thank you Miroku."

Dinner that night was anything, but peaceful. Her mother begged Sango and Miroku to reconsider, but Miroku just told her that it was a job that had to be done. Kagome remained silent throughout the whole ordeal. Trying to repel all attention toward her. This was one of the hardest nights Kagome had gone through and not because she wanted to get going, but because she was leaving her mother behind.

She hated to think of what state she would leave her mother. She knew she would be crushed to know that she had left, but . . . She had to.

Nightfall came faster than Kagome had thought. She knew that it was time to write her mother the short vague note she had planned out in her head. She reached under her bed and grabbed a pad of paper. She began:

_Mom, I know you're probably going out of your mind right now, but don't because I'm fine. I'm going with Miroku and Sango. I know this probably has done nothing to ease your worries, but I just want you to trust me. This is something I have to do. Hopefully I'll be able to explain everything a little better when I come back. And I will come back. I love you.  
Until I see you again,  
-Kagome._

Kagome placed the letter on her bed and then quietly made her way out of the house. She saw two figures already waiting outside the front door and knew that this was the start of one hell of an adventure.

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_**AN:** Well I'm done with my ACT!! Yes!! I'm so happy they're over with. Though I'm pretty sure the science section was over my head. Oh well. Hope you enjoyed!_

_Hoping for some reviews,  
**Dreamer6164**_


	4. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha

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**Chapter Three**

Kill. Murder. Slaughter. His life was one massacre after another. Killing was his one purpose in life. It was the only thing he knew. Yet as he gazed out his barred window he couldn't help but wish it weren't. His mind flashed onto a picture of the woman who he'd spared. He'd never let anyone else escape. Not even when they begged for their lives. So why had he left her alive? So what if she'd cried? He'd seen tons of tears before and none of them had ever effected him.

But that wasn't even the worst part. No, the worst part was that he couldn't seem to get her out of his head. He thought about her constantly. Ever since she'd tried to touch him in the woods, she'd never left his mind. She was driving him insane. He could remember every detail about her. The way her emotions played on her face, the delicious smell of her scent, how her lips had looked so inviting . . . He remembered all of it.

Just what was it exactly that made him respond to her this way? It frustrated him to no end. Why hadn't he been able to kill her? She hadn't even begged for her life! This was his purpose. The one thing he knew how to do well and with one pitiful look from that human girl he felt like the monster deep down he knew he was.

He let out a sigh that had built up in his chest. His thoughts were getting depressing again. It had been two weeks since he'd seen the girl and yet she was still fresh on his mind. He had tried everything he could think of to get her out of his head, but every attempt had been in vain. He stood up and paced his small domain. He took each step with care, forcing himself to concentrate on walking.

One step, two step, three step . . . Urgh! Her face was still there! It took all of his strength not to go and track her down the last time he was sent to massacre a village and he didn't think it was going to get any easier. Maybe he should give in and track her down. Find her, have his way with her, and then kill her. Maybe if he went through with this seemingly easy plan he could get her off his mind.

But as he imagined the girl pale and limp his body flinched from the image. Why was he so opposed to seeing this one human dead? Had she really made such an impression on him that he didn't have the will to kill her? The very thought scared him.

Fear. How he hated the emotion. A angry growl rumbled in his chest as he brought his fist back and released his frustration against the stone wall. Little loose stones fell to the ground caused by the vibration. He let out a sigh as he weakly laid his head against the wall and halfheartedly pounded against it with the bottom of his fist. What was he going to do?

His ears twitched as he heard footsteps nearing his confinement. The only time anyone came to visit him was to send him out to kill. So it wasn't a surprise to him when the man who condemned him to this life walked into his prison. He peered at the man who walked in and then looked back down at ground. He already knew what he wanted.

The man chuckled. "Half-breed, why do you look so down?" When he didn't answered the man chucked again. "Well, I've got just the thing to lift your spirits." The half demon didn't even look over when the man paused. "There's a village right off the coast that I'd like you to visit. Seems they're getting picky about the raise in their taxes I issued last week. I'd like you to go and change their minds. . . . Permanently."

The demon showed no sign that he had heard what his master had said, instead he lifted his head to look out his barred window again. "You will leave at sundown and return in three days time." And with that said, the man left. The half demon let out a sigh. Another killing spree. He shouldn't feel culpable. After all, it was his purpose in life. Had been his purpose in life for a little over seventeen years now. But as he pictured the girl's face again a tiny part of him, that he feared was starting to grow, didn't want this life anymore.

However, he really didn't have a say in the matter. His life had been planned out for him since he had been a child. He had been a prisoner for a long time. Since the day his mother was killed.

His mother. He couldn't even remember what she looked like or what her soothing voice sounded like. The only sound he could remember of her was the shrill cry she let out right before she was murdered. The haunting sound never left his memory nor the image of her body dropping to the floor.

He glared down at his claws. Would she despise the thing he had become? He tightened his hands into fists, sinking his nails into his palms and watched as his blood pooled around his talons. He would spill more innocent blood tonight. Hear more screams and cries for help. Watch people beg for their lives. And he would show no mercy. He would spare not one life.

The picture of the girl flashed in his mind again. He had spared her life. For reasons unknown to him. She was making him weak and he didn't appreciate it. He had to do something about her. He would not be tormented by one insignificant human any longer. He had three days to himself. He would track her down and . . . What? Kill her? What he should have done to begin with. He couldn't picture himself slaying her. So what would he do when he found her? He couldn't bring her back here. She wouldn't last long. Not with the sick bastard that was his master.

He exhaled slightly as he accepted the fact that he would never see the girl again. He would just have to live with another memory haunting him for the rest of his days. He looked out the window and realized that it was getting close to sunset. He sat and watched as he started the process of locking up his emotions. They were useless when he had a job to do and only got in his way. As each emotion was pushed to the back of his mind, he felt his features become blank.

He had been so busy clearing his sentiments that he had failed to hear the footsteps and the rattling of keys as the guard unlocked his door. He made his way out of the cell and eventually out of the castle. Once out in the fresh air, he took off at top speed toward the village that would soon be filled with terror.

It only took a few hours to get there and it was well past dusk. Many of the villagers had already gone inside and gone to bed, but there was still some late night wanderers. They would be the first to die. Slowing his run to a walk, he calmly walked up behind the unsuspecting man, probably walking home for the night. He must of sensed that someone was behind him because he looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened at the sight he saw and was about to let out a yell, but the monster was faster. It slit the man's throat and watched as he fell to the ground to quickly bleed to death. It then made its way faster through the village slicing through anything in its way. Soon the fires that had once kept the villagers' home's warm spread throughout the small town. It slashed though the sides of huts and killed the occupants inside.

When the shock of what was happening to them finally wore off, the villagers began to defend themselves and started to fight back. It chuckled darkly to itself. As if they had a chance at succeeding. It deflected the arrows they shot and crushed the blades they swung. It soon killed the people who attacked it only leaving the defenseless ones to deal with. The night of horror would soon end. With no survivors.

It ransacked the rest of the still standing huts and slaughtered the people inside. Mostly women and children. When it arrived at the last hut there was a woman holding a crying baby to her chest with tears streaming down her face. She looked up at her killer and let out a distressed cry. "Please. Don't do this."

A memory of his mother came to mind and he hesitated. He looked at the woman with some recognition, but only briefly before he pushed his emotions back once more. It raised its claws again and swiped the woman in half. Successfully killing her and the infant in one blow. He hadn't realized that he had squeezed his eyes shut unlit he had to force them open. He quickly looked away from the now lifeless woman and child and fled the hut. The night was silent except for the crackling of the fires around him. It was over. At least for now.

Without even looking at his handiwork, he escaped to the nearby forest.

**OoOoO**

Kagome stretched into the morning sun. Enjoying the feel of it as it warmed her skin. How she loved the sun. Everything about it thrilled her. She let out a laugh as she twirled around like she had when she was a little girl.

"Kagome, breakfast is ready." Sango called as Kagome stopped twirling. She shook her head as she watched the younger woman make her way over to them. For the last week they had been traveling and Kagome had turned out to be nothing but a godsend. She'd help Sango when she began to slow and carried most of the load when she got tired. Sango was very grateful to Kagome, but she sometimes couldn't help but think that maybe Kagome got more than she bargained for when she told them she was coming with them.

Kagome sat down next to Sango and across from Miroku. "So what are we having?" she asked cheerfully.

"You're always so cheerful in the morning Kagome. I'd hate to think of what our state of minds would be like if you hadn't tagged along." Miroku chuckled as he passed her a steaming bowl of rice. It was the only thing left they had to eat. They'd have to stock up in the next village.

Kagome smiled and thanked him for the rice. "I just love being outdoors. It's so beautiful out here and I can't wait till we reach the coast." Kagome eyes filled with excitement. "When do you think we'll get there?"

Sango laughed at Kagome's giddiness. "Kagome you remind me of a child sometimes." Kagome playfully scowled at her.

"I can't help it. You have no idea how long I've been cooped up in one place. I've never traveled before." She paused as she looked at her surroundings. "It's so exciting to see new places."

"I think we'll come across the coast before noon today." Miroku wiped away some of the excess rice off his lips as he spoke. Kagome's eye's lit up with anticipation. "I can only hope our good fortune stays that way as we see more of the country. I'm starting to feel as if our good luck is shifting."

Kagome didn't respond. She too was hoping they never came across anything horrific. Though the odds of never coming across it were slim. It was the point of their journey after all. Still she wished they'd at least have a little more time to enjoy themselves before they had to get down to business.

"I've been feeling the same way, Miroku." Sango replied. "It seems like we've gone too long without anything happening." Kagome looked from Sango to Miroku, who nodded in agreement. She let out a sigh. How she hated to see their contentment end.

After finishing their breakfast, they quickly packed up their belongings and started on their way. Their pace was steady and what little conversation they had was mostly about their surroundings. After walking for a couple of hours, Sango began to tire. Kagome took the load she was carrying so she wouldn't over exert herself. "Miroku let's take a short break. I think Sango's back is bothering her."

"No, that's alright. I'm fine. Let's keep moving." Sango disagreed, but Miroku was already placing his stuff on the ground.

"Come now Sango, I wouldn't mind the rest either." He sat next to his belongings and then winked at Kagome when Sango moved to take her things from her. She smiled in return. It was their way of getting Sango to rest. She'd never admit when she was tired so Kagome and Miroku took it among themselves to initiate the breaks.

Sango took a seat on the ground next to Miroku and let out a sigh. "How much further do you think the coast is?"

Kagome soon joined them. "I hope it's close."

"It should be only an hour walk from here." He rummaged through his bag a moment before pulling out a bottle of water. He took a swig then passed it to Sango. She thanked him and then took a drink herself. Screwing the cap back on she then passed it to Kagome.

"An hour?" Kagome said as she accepted the drink. "That's not that long."

"No it's not too bad. Like I said before. We'll make it there before noon." Kagome took a quick drink and then handed it to Miroku, who put it back in his bag. "I guess we should keep moving." Kagome nodded then got up to go help Sango stand. She didn't accept the help at first, but when she staggered she didn't do anything to prevent Kagome from helping her.

As the hour passed, Kagome could feel the excitement pumping through her veins. She couldn't wait to get that first glimpse of the ocean. To feel the fresh breeze on her face. She had to force herself not to walk any faster than she already was. "Kagome!" Miroku called from a couple of steps behind her. She looked over her shoulder at him. "It should be right over this hill!"

"Kay!" she called back before she took off at a run up the side of the steep hill only to stop dead in her tracks. Miroku had been right about the ocean, but the magnificence of the water was not what caught her eye. It was almost déjà vu for her. Running up the hill to spot a destroyed village. The only difference was the neighboring ocean. The breeze swept through her hair as she turned her sight away from the destruction.

"Kagome is everything alright?" Sango asked as she and Miroku came to stand beside her. Sango's intake of breath was Kagome's indication that she saw the village. She also heard Miroku's almost silent prayers.

As he brought his hand down from prayer, he looked over at the two women and sighed. "Let's go see if there's any survivors." They nodded and then made their way down the hill. It took them another hour to sort through all the corpses only to come up empty handed. There were no survivors this round.

Kagome looked around the nearly totaled town with saddened eyes. He had done this. She was sure of it and she knew that Sango and Miroku were sure of it as well. Her mother had been right. This senseless killing had to stop, but she wasn't about to go and kill the person who had done this. It would only add to the already high death count.

She watched as Miroku lined the bodies to prepare them for their burials. How many more would have to suffer before this would all be over with? Did he even regret what he did? Did the endless killing sprees keep him up at night? She wanted to confront him. To see if what she had saw that day in the woods had actually happened. To make sure her imagination hadn't made it up.

She let out a sigh and was about to go over and help Miroku bury the dead when she heard someone running. At first she thought she hadn't heard right, but as she listened closely she heard the grass crinkling under fast footfalls. She was on the verge of turning around and finding out who was traveling at such a speed when the sound stopped. Though she could feel the presence right behind her, the feeling of unknown raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Finally deciding it was time to turn around, she preceded to do so slowly.

She gasped when she came face to face with the very man who had destroyed the village. Though unlike last time, his eyes were not vacant. They held a certain curiosity and the more she stared into them, the more she found herself being pulled into a trace.

"Kagome what are--" Miroku cut himself off as he noticed who she was standing in front of. His eyes clouded with hate as he stared at the monster who had taken so many lives. "Beast! Don't you dare lay a hand on her!" He reached into his robe and pulled out three sutras.

The man looked over at the monk and growled menacingly when he saw that he was approaching them. The monk hesitated as he tried to think of a better way of advancing. The man looked back down at the girl who had plagued his thoughts and brought his hand up to wipe a stray hair out of her face. The girl shivered at his touch causing him to smirk.

"I said not to touch her!" Miroku looked like he was about to fire a sutra at him, but Kagome stopped him.

"Miroku don't. Please." Kagome pleaded causing Miroku to stop in his tracks in confusion.

"Kagome, please be careful. You don't know what this thing is capable of!" Sango shouted from her spot a few feet behind Miroku.

But she did know. She had seen the same destruction as Sango had, but she also knew that he wouldn't hurt her. He had had his chance two weeks ago. She licked her dry lips as she reached out a hand to touch his face. He watched her hand with a guarded expression. As her hand gently stroked his cheek, his eyes widened in amazement. No one had ever touched him like that. With no sign of a threat. He cautiously took the hand that was still on his face and held it tenderly in his. His eyes never left hers as he did the action, but he could tell that she was confused as to way he had stopped her. He brought her hand up to his lips and very softly kissed her knuckles.

"Kagome!" Miroku fired a sutra at the beast only to miss due to him jumping out of the way with Kagome in his arms. An enraged growl rumbled in his chest as Kagome's eyes widened. "You let her go you demon!" He sent another one his way only to miss again.

Kagome could tell that the man holding her was getting furious. So she gripped his shirt tighter as she spoke. "Please don't hurt them."

He looked down at the girl, took in her pleading eyes and then growled one more time at the offending monk before he took off from the scene. Carrying a shocked Kagome with him.

"No! Kagome!" Miroku shouted after them. He felt Sango run up beside him with horrified eyes. What were they going to do now?

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AN:

Well here's another chapter. The next one will be interesting to write. Review if you have the time.

_Hoping that you enjoyed it,  
**Dreamer6164**_

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_**Update: 6/22/08**  
I have changed the summary. It use to be:_ Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed into the vacant eyes of the man before her. With that one look she could feel his whole life sufferings and the only thought that could come to her mind was, "Who was this guy?"

_I thought that the new summary might attract more readers. Some people don't like the whole excerpt thing so I'm going to give this a try. If this doesn't work then I might have to change the title. thanks for bearing with me.  
**Dreamer6164**_


	5. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha

_**AN:** Sorry about the long wait you guys. I've been extremely busy though. Football season started up again and that means that school's starting up soon. So my writting time in cut to nearly nothing. Hopefully I'll be able to so time though. 'Cause I really do enjoy writting this story. Even though it doesn't have nearly as many reviews as I think it deserves. Oh well, enough of me rambling. Go ahead and enjoy! You've waited long enough!  
**Dreamer6164**_

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Chapter Four

The wind blew furiously against Kagome's face as her kidnapper sprinted to who-knows-where. She clutched to his chest, afraid to tumble to the ground that he was almost flying over. She didn't know where he was taking her, but she knew that wherever they ended up it would be somewhere remote. Once she got past the surprise of his actions, it felt nice to be running at such a fast speed.

She glanced up at his face discreetly and studied his features. His amber eyes were fierce with determination, as if he were contemplating all of the places to take her. She wished she were able to hear his thoughts. It would probably ease her mind if she knew what was going to happen to herself.

Not that she feared for her life. She felt reassured that he wouldn't kill her, but she couldn't say that she felt as secure when it came to the other aspects of being kidnapped. What if he planned to finish what he had attempted to do in the woods? She knew that she wouldn't have a fighting chance to stop him. Yet at the thought of him forcing himself on her she didn't feel any anxiety. Instead she scoffed at the idea. She thought back to how he had kissed her knuckles. If he were planning on forcing her to do anything then why was he so gentle with her back on the hill?

They hadn't been traveling long, but Kagome knew that at the speed they had been going that they had to have been miles away from Miroku and Sango. She knew that they were probably worried about her and would no doubt come to her rescue, not that she needed it. She felt perfectly safe with the man who had kidnapped her.

She was jolted forward slightly as he slid to a halt outside what appeared to be a secluded cave. At first Kagome hadn't even been sure it was a cave. The entrance was so heavily covered in moss, indicating that the interior was damp, that she had overlooked it. He made his way into the dank cave and carefully put her down on the rocky ground.

They stared at each other for several long minutes, not knowing what to do. Kagome clumsily fiddled with the hem of her shirt and with great effort tore her eyes away from him to look around their hideout. It wasn't a very big cave. Just big enough to fit the both of them. She absently wondered if this was where he lived. From the corner of her eye she looked back over at him. "So . . ." She saw his right ear twitch at the sound of her voice. "Is this your home?"

He continued to stare at her, not even attempting to answer her question. He suddenly looked away as if he found the far cave's wall more interesting. Kagome found his behavior a little strange. Why wasn't he looking at her? He was the one who made off with her. Shouldn't he be the one telling her where they were and what he planned to do with her? After a couple of minutes of him avoiding her probing gaze, she sighed. "Can I at least ask for your name?"

Once again her question was met with silence. Figuring that he wasn't going to open up to her just yet, she decided that maybe she should go first. "Well, my name's Kagome Higurashi." She faltered for a moment, trying to think of what he could possibly want to know about her. "I'm, uh, pretty sure you remember me. I mean, you seemed to recognize me." She felt nervous. Like she was rambling on. What would he want to know about her? Did he even care what her name was?

She looked down at her hands as if they would answer her misgivings. Taking a deep breath, she decided she'd start again. But her words were caught in her throat when she looked back up at him. He was peering over at her with a puzzled expression. It was like he couldn't figure something out. Kagome had half a mind to look away, but just as she was about to, he spoke. "I-InuYasha." His voice was coarse with disuse, yet it fit his exterior perfectly.

It took Kagome a minute to get over the shock of him actually speaking, but when she did she realized that he had just given her his name. "Your name is InuYasha?" He nodded once in response. A slow smile crept onto Kagome's face that was followed by a small laugh. She couldn't help it. He had actually spoken to her. It seemed pretty surreal to her. She was sitting in a damp cave with a supposed monster and they were introducing themselves.

She continued to smile at him, wondering what else he would answer. It didn't have to be a serious question. She just wanted to hear his voice again. "So you didn't say earlier. Do you live here?" For a half a second she saw his eyes darken and she feared she had asked the wrong question, but once again the sound of his voice made her feelings of anticipation leave her.

"No. I don't live here. I don't have that kinda freedom." Then his eyes darted away from her and were replaced by an almost ashamed look. Like he regretted telling her that particular information. She absently wondered why he would feel ashamed to tell her this.

She had so many questions she wanted to ask him, but she didn't want to overwhelm him. She had a good feeling that she was the first person he'd ever had a civilized conversation with. She had no idea where to start, but she assumed that she had to start somewhere. Maybe if she explained her curiosity to him, he'd be willing to answer. "InuYasha?" She didn't know whether it was the sound of her voice or his name that had startled him, but he jumped slightly when she spoke. "Sorry." She mumbled before continuing. "I was just wondering if you'd be up to explaining some things to me. I mean, I hate being left in the dark about things and, well, you're very mysterious . . ." She trailed off, hoping he'd catch her drift.

He studied her for a moment before saying warily, "What do you want to know?" A smile lit up Kagome's face as she quickly sorted through the list of questions in her mind.

"What are you? Why do you have dog ears? And silver hair?" The questions slipped past her lips without her consent, but luckily he didn't seem to mind. She even noticed the flicker over the right corner of his mouth.

InuYasha took in the appearance of the girl before him. So she wanted to know what he was, did she? He could tell by the bombardment of questions that this was only the tip of the iceberg, but he stopped himself from smirking. "I'm a half-breed." He half expected her to scowl at him, but her confused expression surprised him. "Ya know, a half-demon."

Her confused expression lessened slightly. "A half-demon. . . . So that must mean that you're half-human as well." InuYasha nodded in response. ". . . I didn't know there were any demons left." He didn't know why, but he liked that the girl was so naïve. He came to the conclusion that it was because she wasn't about to judge him like others would.

With great effort he fought the urge to smirk as he replied, "You'd be surprised as to know how many demons are still around." Her eyes widened at the news. "They mostly live in small packs. Never staying in one place for too long." His eyes darted down at his knuckles that were supporting most of his weight. He hadn't realized that he had been leaning forward, causing his balance to shift from his hunched legs to his hands. They were starting to lose feeling. He tilted back once again before he continued. "But there is still one demon village left. Though it's not easily vulnerable to attack. It can only be found by its enemies by accident."

Kagome was more confused then ever. It can only be found by its enemies by accident? That didn't even make sense. "What do you mean? By accident?"

This time the tiniest of smirks graced InuYasha's lips and it silently shocked them both. "You can only find the village if ya ain't looking for it. Other wise ya could travel for days and walk right past it without even knowing." Wonder appeared on the girl's face, though it was still tainted with confusion, and InuYasha knew that she wondered how he had found out about the village himself. "I came across it when I was sent to . . ." He trailed off. He had been sent to destroy a village that had been spreading news about his despicable master when he had stumbled upon it. Though he hadn't stayed long. Just long enough to hear the rumors of an enemy attack and many elders telling them not to worry for the barrier would keep them safe. He studied the girl, seeing if she'd pick up on why he'd stopped, but she just stared at him patiently.

"Yes?" she probed gently.

He blinked comically, then continued carefully. "I was out hunting." he said. It wasn't really a lie, but definitely better then the truth. "The whole village is hidden by a barrier. It's a very old tactic, but so far it's worked and as long as they lie low they should be able to live in peace."

Kagome stared at him as she processed the information. There were still demons around and she hadn't had the slightest clue. What other things had she been oblivious too? She wanted to know, but there were still more important things to ask. She didn't want to beat around the bush any longer. This was a question that had taunted her thoughts ever since their first meeting. "Why didn't you kill me? That time in the woods? Or now for that matter?"

InuYasha was taken aback by her abrupt change of subject. Although after he got over his surprise, uncertainty sank in. It was a question he, himself, didn't know the answer to. "Do ya want me to kill ya?" he asked with a furrowed brow. It was an attempt to divert her from her original question.

Her eyes widened as she stuttered, "N-no. Of course I don't." She took in the frown on his face and continued. "I just want to know why you let me live."

His ear twitched in aggravation as he turned his gaze to the far cave wall again. "I don't know." he said through gritted teeth. It had just been something about her. Something that even now he couldn't detect. Her presence brought out emotions that he had learned to keep under lock and key long ago. He wasn't yet sure if he appreciated it or not.

Sensing that the vague answer was all she was going to get, she chose to accept it. "Okay." He still hadn't looked back over at her. "Well, I just wanted you to know that for whatever reason that stopped you . . . I'm grateful for it." This grabbed his attention. His head whipped over in her direction with glowering eyes.

"You're grateful that I didn't kill ya?" he demanded. He wasn't sure where all the irritation was coming from, but he knew he didn't want her feeling grateful. If anything, she should feel lucky. Incredibly lucky. She'd escaped death not once, but twice. "Is your brain broken or something?"

Her confused expression was back. "What do you mean?" With inhuman speed, he sealed the small distance between them and wrapped his hand around her neck. It was big enough to enclose most of it and she tensed up as he pressed his nails into her skin. Not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to break skin.

He stared into her wide eyes. "I could kill you. With one swipe of my claws, you'd be dead." He tighten his hand just a little bit more. "How grateful do ya feel now?"

Kagome studied his face and when she noticed, through the hard glare, a somewhat desperate look in his eyes, she relaxed in his hold. With some trouble caused by his offending hand, she said, "I suppose you could kill me. But you won't." She felt his hold on her loosen considerably. "If you had wanted to kill me, you would have already. You're no more of a threat to me than I am to you. . . . Why that is I'm not so sure."

InuYasha let go of her as if her skin had burned him. He backed up until his back was against the cave wall. Desperately trying to put distance between them. Just who was this girl? This Kagome Higurashi? And why did she hold this much power over him? To kill was the only reason he'd ever touched a person. The only reason he needed. It was an instinct really. So why could he touch this one girl and not have his instinct take over?

Kagome watched InuYasha press himself against the wall. His face was blank. She was beginning to think it was his defense mechanism. Whenever he was feeling too many emotions, he'd close them off. Or at least it was her theory. "InuYasha?" she asked uncertainly as she leaned toward him.

He tried to press himself further into the wall when she advanced toward him, but the wall was just as solid as he was. She outstretched her hand, as if wanting to console him. He flinched from the offering hand and bumped his head on the low ceiling in the process.

Kagome winced as he hit his head, but he gave no sign confirming that he even did it. "Here let me take a look at that." When he no made to move toward her, she sighed. "Look, whether you want to admit it or not, you hit your head pretty hard. Just let me see if there's a bump."

Caution crept onto his face. "I'm fine." He didn't need some girl to look after him. He'd been through worse than a bump on the head. But as she moved back into her regular sitting position, she looked dejected. Her disappointment caused a growl to rumble in his chest. She looked up with alarm. He closed his eyes in irritation then leaned forward. "Go ahead and look, but I'm telling ya, I'm fine." he said through clenched teeth.

Kagome was pleasantly surprised when he leaned forward and demanded that she cheek his head. It even took her a minute to come to terms with what he was asking, but before he could pull away she brought her hands up to feel his head. She was even more surprised by the fact that there wasn't even a bump.

She couldn't help but let her fingers linger in his hair. It was silk smooth and, even though it wasn't the best kept for, it still slid over her hands effortlessly. She bit her lip nervously as her hands moved toward his ears. She couldn't stop her curiosity toward them. She wanted to make sure they were real. An impossible urge to touch them come upon her.

Very gently she grasped his ears and he jerked in shock. What did she think she was doing? No one was allowed to touch his ears. Of course that was because no one had ever wanted to, but still. He was just about to pull away from her stroking hands when she did so herself. Her abrupt stop made him disoriented. He barely even heard her quiet apology.

Blush colored Kagome's cheeks. She hadn't even meant to touch his ears. It had been beyond her control. They just looked so touchable and cute that she couldn't pass up the opportunity. Luckily he didn't look too angry. Maybe a little annoyed though. "I hope you don't hold that against me. I promise I won't do it again without your permission."

"Feh. Hope ya don't hold your breath for that go-ahead. 'Cause ya won't be getting it." he replied as he straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest.

A secretive smile appeared on her face. "I wouldn't be so sure on that." He narrowed his eyes in suspicion and she lifted her chin with confidence. "It'll be my mission to get your consent."

He could feel his features turn blank as he studied the girl in front of him. Did that mean that she planned on seeing him again in the future? 'Cause he wasn't sure if that were possible. His three days of temporary freedom were up at sunset. He'd have to go back to his master and he'd be damned if he was going to surrender her to the likes of him. . . . But maybe he could leave her somewhere until he was let out again. Granted he wasn't about to lock her up and make her his own little prisoner, but maybe if he told her to wait for him . . .

"InuYasha?" She waved her hand in front of his vacant eyes. What was wrong with him now? A gasp escaped her lips when his hand shot up to stop hers. She locked her gaze with his and was surprised to find that they were no longer emotionless.

He continued to stare at her as if contemplating what to say. ". . . I have to leave." His statement was so abrupt that Kagome didn't even know what he meant at first. "Do ya have some place to stay? . . . Until I come back?"

"Umm. . ." She hesitated, trying to compose her thoughts into words. "Well . . . I guess you could take me back to my friends." He nodded absentmindedly as he stood up in a hunched position to avoid hitting his head again. "Yo-you said you were going to come back for me?" She knew she shouldn't feel as excited about it as she did, but she couldn't help it. There was something about him that drew her to him. Something she couldn't put her finger on . . .

He gave her a once-over before answering. "Yeah." He saw the smile spread across her face and had to look away to hide his all to willing emotions. "Just don't read too much into it, alright."

She nodded, still wearing the smile. "Alright."

"Feh, let's go." He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of the cave.

* * *

_**AN:** Go ahead and review. You know you want to! Please? lol  
**Dreamer6164**_


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